Become a Character: Yvaine from Stardust

For the Take Another Chance Challenge hosted by Find Your Next Book Here, one of the challenges says to write about a book as one of the characters from the book. The character can comment on his/her treatment by the author, other characters, the "untold story," what happened next, and so forth. You could even have two characters interviewing each other! Your imagination is the only limit.


The book I picked for this challenge is Stardust by Neil Gaiman, which I already did a book review for here. So I thought it would be fun to interview Yvaine, the first Lady of Stormhold and fallen star.

Nice to meet you, Lady Yvaine. How are you fairing these days at Stormhold?
"Nice to meet you, as well. I suppose I fair as well as I ever have at the palace. It is my home, after all."

Indeed. You have ruled for quite some time at Stormhold, though you don't look as if you have aged a day. Do you think that you will ever have a successor?
"And then where would I go? What would I do? My late husband, the eighty-second Lord of Stormhold entrusted me with the topaz stone as the only legitimate heir to the Power of Stormhold. As no other heirs are forthcoming, I have no desire to break that trust."

Not much is mentioned in the histories regarding your time with Lord Tristan before he assumed the throne. Would you care to share with us what the two of you occupied yourselves with in all that time?
"Well, some of that time was filled with what any young lovers occupy themselves with. But I distinctly recall leaving a note behind that informed the Lady Una that we had been unavoidably detained by the world. As Tristan loved to point out, we had wrongs to right, villians to vanquish, and sights to see.  Some of the old rumors regarding our travels could be true, but I believe it is more enjoyable to allow the imagination run wild over what we did so long ago, don't you?"

So it is. Tell me, why have you kept your identity so secret all these years, never to tell even one trusted individual your true nature?
"My narrow escape from death taught me prudence many years ago. I would not have such an event take place twice in my lifetime. I reckon that those closest to me would conjecture what I am, but I have never been approached by anyone regarding this and my safety has never been compromised by the knowledge."

It has been noted by those around you that you do not seem to eat or drink much of anything. Though we know the true reason why, I wonder, have you ever tried our food?
"I have tasted many things, and masterful chefs have traveled from far and wide to impress my palate, only to leave baffled and disheartened. Shining light quenches like no earthly water or wine can, and the comfort of darkness satisfies my hunger more fully than the choicest cut of meat or sweetest fruit. I try to humor them, but I am afraid I fail miserably. "

Do you miss living as you once did, looking down from above?
"Yes, very much. Many nights I wish I could join with my sisters in the heavens and sing, but I have my rooms in the citadel that allow me to watch their dance in night sky. My mother shines down on me, and I am at peace with my loneliness."

Thankyou, Lady Yvaine, for allowing me to conduct this interview. You are as beautiful and mysterious now as the day you fell in Faerie.
"Thankyou for your kindness."

What would you ask the Lady Yvaine, if you could?